Gas prices fuel postal experiment
Centennial carriers walking more in effort to cut gas costs
By Ashleigh Oldland, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)
Published July 18, 2008 at 8:33 p.m.
Ken Papaleo / The Rocky
Michelle Wilson delivers mail Friday afternoon in the area of the 7800 block of South Logan Street in Centennial. Wilson parks her truck and walks 12 to 13 miles delivering mail.
Mail carriers in Centennial are spending more time on their feet and less time behind the wheel to save money on gas.
Since June 30, Centennial delivery routes have been adjusted to emphasize more walking, taking more right turns to save on gas and adding more deliveries to each route.
It's meant to save at the pump. The Postal Service expects to spend $2.3 billion nationally on fuel and transportation this year - $600 million more than last year.
While other post offices in the Denver area and elsewhere are trying to cut costs, the Centennial office is leading the pack in requring its carriers to walk more and drive less.
"Centennial is a top example of a post office where the routes were really thoroughly examined for changes in where walking can be utilized," said Al DeSarro, spokesman for the U.S. Postal Service.
But how much that will save, if anything, remains to be seen. Overtime costs have increased as carriers log more hours. And because walking routes can slow delivery, some residents have been receiving mail later in the day.
Michelle Wilson, 47, has been a letter carrier seven years. She said she has gone from walking three hours to between four and five hours a day. Wilson said she and many of her co-workers have been working longer hours - sometimes 10 to 12 hours a day.
Mike Williams, president of the Denver branch of the National Association of Letter Carriers, said he generally disagrees with changing routes to walking routes.
"I have e-mails in the double digits from carriers forced to work overtime that didn't sign up for the overtime," he said. "Adding delivery stops to each route in Colorado and walking routes increases hours."
Williams also said walking exposes carriers to heat exhaustion, dog bites and harsh weather.
"Nothing is wrong with walking in moderation, but on extreme hot days there is no consideration for the carrier on the street," Williams said.
Wilson arms herself with water, a floppy hat and mister before she makes her deliveries.
Steve Turner, customer relations coordinator for the Centennial office, said cutting fuel costs will require taking risks and trying new options.
"Right now it is too early to know if it's saving money," Turner said. "We are going to have to give this some time. . . .
"If this is successful I'm certain you'll see other post offices across the nation adopting similar practices."
oldlanda@RockyMountainNews.com or 303-954-5624
Saving money
How the Postal Service is reducing costs:
* Routes are designed to have mostly right-hand turns and a minimum amount of time in high-traffic areas.
* 20 percent of USPS ground fuel is bought in bulk for less money.
* USPS has the largest alternative fuel fleet in the nation, with 43,000 of its 219,000 postal vehicles able to use alternative fuel sources such as compressed natural gas, E-85, electric, biodiesel, liquid propane gas and hydrogen fuel cell.
* A one-cent increase in a gallon of gas costs the Postal Service $8 million in fuel and transportation costs annually, postal officials said.
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July 19, 2008
8:48 a.m.
Suggest removal
Dhakala writes:
So the savings on gas will be spent on increased health care costs for exhausted, heat-stricken workers. And mail will arrive later. Lovely.
July 19, 2008
9:12 a.m.
Suggest removal
rwmorrisonjr writes:
Let FedEx or UPS carry first class mail, then you'll see real improvements in efficiency and delivery, and an end to the unionized mail carrier and government monopoly on letter carrying.
July 19, 2008
9:27 a.m.
Suggest removal
gary writes:
What "experiment"?? Is everyone..including Postal administration too young to remember that...the mail in town was delivered by the mailman...(mailperson) by walking their route?
Wow, a new idea...let's have them walk more and deliver the mail!!
Nuff Said!
July 19, 2008
9:28 a.m.
Suggest removal
Darwin writes:
Question, are FedEx and UPS workers union or non-union? If union, I bet their union is much more powerful than the government union.
July 19, 2008
9:30 a.m.
Suggest removal
gary writes:
So the savings on gas will be spent on increased health care costs for exhausted, heat-stricken workers. And mail will arrive later. Lovely.
Wrong...maybe the employees will get back into shape and be healthier and not as fat!!
Nuff Said!
July 19, 2008
9:55 a.m.
Suggest removal
mamott writes:
I think it is a great idea, not only are they saving on gas costs but promoting cleaner air and healthier people.
July 19, 2008
9:55 a.m.
Suggest removal
waterreflecting writes:
My parents' mail carrier in the Republic to the NW of Centennial has been walking his route since I was 4 or 5 (I am now 31) and he is fit and has not yet suffered from heat exhaustion. He wears a big sun hat, carries water, wears comfy shoes and seems to really enjoy his job. What a concept.
In our neighborhood the mail carrier zips 15 feet at a time from mail box to mail box, hoping in and out, in and out, the truck running nonstop. I am sure he could walk most of our route in not much more time than it takes him to drive. And, it would definitely save gas.
Now, adding routes and extending their routes is an entirely different situation and perhaps not at all reasonable.
July 19, 2008
10:01 a.m.
Suggest removal
jbowen43 writes:
When we had to deal with the fuel crisis in the seventies we converted some motorized routes to all walking or park and loop. I could deliver mail 30-40 per cent faster in the older residential areas of Colorado Springs on foot than out of a Jeep. In some areas the distances between boxes precludes foot delivery. Come winter snow and ice removal will be a problem. I don't remember ever hearing of anyone suffering from heat exhaustion even in Southern California. Dog bites? Yes. Most of the injuries I ever heard of happened in vehicles.
July 19, 2008
10:52 a.m.
Suggest removal
fastnloose writes:
My mail has been delivered by foot for 30yrs.In all kinds of weather conditions,almost always on time.Our carriers are awesome.Our mail boxes are even in our houses,if we had on street boxes,I can't imagine how fast our route could be done.Get them out of their jeeps and let them meet the people.It also makes for a safer neighborhood.
July 19, 2008
11:07 a.m.
Suggest removal
Colorado_Bill writes:
Fact: The average letter carrier is earning just under $20 an hour.
Of course, putting money into American workers' pockets instead of foreign oil companies is a good thing, but I wonder about the cost.
Will someone explain to me the economics of trading an extra hour or two of (overtime!) labor for fuel savings? How much fuel does one of those jeep-things burn up in the course of a day?
July 19, 2008
11:08 a.m.
Suggest removal
SteveM writes:
Negativity from the RMN? Big surprise.
July 19, 2008
11:29 a.m.
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The_Punnisher writes:
The mail in my parents part of the SFBA has been delivered by a WALKING MAILPERSON for over 40 years!!
They park the jeep ( or truck ) and actually get out and WALK THE DELIVERY ROUTE.
The housing density is similar to Centennial ( or Highlands Ranch ) so what is the diff? Or is the MANAGEMENT not doing their jobs ( most likely ).....
July 19, 2008
3:43 p.m.
Suggest removal
raoul writes:
would it not be easier to lobby the USPS cronies in Washington and raise the rates? BTW: does anybody know if the 2nd coming of the messiah, obama, has made free postage to the masses as part of his "real change you can believe in" platform?
July 19, 2008
4:09 p.m.
Suggest removal
daboysdada writes:
Ok time for the facts from the usps website http://www.usps.com/communications/ne...
Like the USPS fedex and ups are unionized also. Unlike those other two there are NO FUEL SURCHARGES AND NO SATURDAY surcharges. The USPS also has the cheapest rates of any country in the world including those with privatized postal services. Here's a little taste of what a day at the post office is like, if you don't beleive me, call 1-(800)ASK-USPS and ask to do a ride along or shadow day with your carrier.
It's today, and . . .
The Postal Service will:
Deliver
316 million pieces of First-Class Mail
2.96 million pieces of Priority Mail
181 thousand pieces of Express Mail
2.8 million pieces of International Mail
46 thousand cards and letters coming into the United States from other countries
700 million total pieces of mail
about 85 million pounds of mail
to 119 million residences, 9 million businesses and 20 million PO boxes
Drive nearly 4.1 million miles in our fleet of trucks
Spend nearly $1 million on over 400,000 gallons of fuel for the fleet of trucks
Add 6,000 new delivery points to our nationwide network
Process 152,000 changes of address
Forward more than 6.6 billion pieces of mail at no charge to the customer
Serve 9 million customers at nearly 37,000 retail locations
Accept nearly 20,000 passport applications
Cancel 50 million postage stamps on automation equipment
Issue more than 500,000 money orders
Have one million visitors on usps.com
Process more than 230,000 transactions at Automated Postal Centers
Perform at least one heroic act by saving a customer's life, home, or both.
Receive no tax dollars
Mail is big business
The Postal Service is the core of the multi-billion dollar mailing industry that employs millions of people.*
First-Class Mail $37.6 billion
Business Advertising $20.8 billion
Expedited Mail $6.2 billion
Publications $2.2 billion
Package Services $2.3 billion
International Mail $2.0 billion
If it were a private sector company, the U.S. Postal Service would be ranked 21st in the 2007 Fortune 500. First-Class Mail, Business Advertising and Expedited Mail would each make the list on their own — 58th, 112th, and 369th respectively.
*An Envelope Manufacturers Association study released in 2004 reported that the mailing industry accounted for 8% — or $900 billion — of the Gross Domestic Product, and employed more than 11 million people in the United States.
July 19, 2008
4:12 p.m.
Suggest removal
SteveC writes:
So the mail gets there later in the day? So? You still can't send your bills out until the next day anyway so who cares what time it gets there?
July 19, 2008
5:14 p.m.
Suggest removal
involved writes:
When your dog that doesn't bite bites me, I will sue you.
When I become injured on your property, I will sue you.
It's called a third party claim. It's mandatory if you are USPS employed.
Don't forget to make sure that you shovel the sidewalk, too.
July 19, 2008
5:21 p.m.
Suggest removal
daboysdada writes:
No I'm not Al. Just a carrier tired of everyone ragging on the job we do. It's just like with everything else, everyone thinks they can do the other persons job better than the person doing it but for some reason or another don't have that position. Think of all the "monday morning quarterbacks" and those who think they could make pro team personnel decisions better than the respective tams GM. I'm not disputing what you have said but people only see their mail in their box and not what goes on in the back of the offices where the cases are or at the plants where the mail is processed.
July 19, 2008
5:26 p.m.
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involved writes:
Hey folks, want to do a walk along?
We'll see how long YOU last..
July 19, 2008
6:55 p.m.
Suggest removal
navymom writes:
When I was growing up in Texas and until I moved away in 1982, the mail was delivered by the postman walking a route and hand delivering mail to the box on the front porch of the houses. I can remember watching him park at the end of the street, walk several blocks on one side and back up the other to his truck. They said hello to everyone who was outside and could tell you the names of most of the kids.
Those of course were the "good old days" when we had neighbors who really wanted to be neighbors. I had a navy family on one side, the Gonzalez family on the other (good friends of mine), and could tell you the name of everyone for blocks who had children and many who didn't. I could tell you the best houses to go to for candy, who would help with homework and which subject, and whose house you could just walk in without knocking.
Maybe if the postmen (or women) walked their route, it would revive the old feelings of neighborhood.
July 19, 2008
8:20 p.m.
Suggest removal
daboysdada writes:
I have many residents of the over 600 that I deliver to that I would consider friends and they have helped me out when needed: during the winter of 2006 I had one that would pull me out of the closed end of his cul-de-sac when I got stuck, I have others that have offered me food and water. I delivered to some well known athletes who were nothing but kind. I talk to people on my route everyday when they are out or I something for them at their door. My Aunt lives on a route that the carrier parks at the end and delivers the block. My route is mainly cluster boxes where there are typically 12-16 addresses in a box with spaces for parcels on the bottom.
July 19, 2008
10:06 p.m.
Suggest removal
navymom writes:
No offense meant to postmen, daboysdada. My post wasn't meant to say that postal workers aren't friendly or good neighbors, today. It was meant to be a nostalgic look at the way things used to be in neighborhoods and the lack of real neighbors today. I have tried in every neighborhood in which I have lived to get to know my neighbors to no avail until I moved to my present neighborhood. I have 2 neighbors who really want to be neighbors, get to know you and watch out for your place when you are gone. My comment was meant to imply that possibly postal workers, by walking, would be able to help revive that old sense of neighborhood.
July 19, 2008
11:11 p.m.
Suggest removal
daboysdada writes:
No offense taken. My street is kinda like that I know the people on my end of the street and our kids do things together and have the same classes in school.
July 20, 2008
10:36 a.m.
Suggest removal
Creative_N_Denver writes:
When living in California I worked as a mail carrier and 95% of my route was walking. We got paid very well for a job that helped keep me fit. It was very hot some days, we put on sunscreen and wore short sleeves and shorts, kept water in our trucks. As for dog bites, they were very few. We flagged the homes with dogs with red cards. These homes are well known and the whole neighborhood knew, if the dogs were out, there was no mail delivery that day or pick up! With support from the city and law enforcement we were able to do our job.
July 20, 2008
8:07 p.m.
Suggest removal
trouble22 writes:
For those of you who think this job is a "cake walk" you are wrong! Yes it is enjoyable and yes, there are those who make the rest of us look bad by stealing their overtime and hiding when done, the rest of the carriers who actually bust there butt and enjoy their jobs and also try to please customers, management, etc and still deal with the weather are the ones suffering here. I don't think the public realizes how much work goes into making sure a piece of mail gets delivered to the door. I think if anything the way to save money would be to eliminate Saturday delivery. Not only would it do away with covering the regular carriers rotating day off, it would save on fuel. Try to help your carriers, not think the worst of them most of us LIKE our jobs and want to make sure customer service stays alive!!!
July 20, 2008
9:30 p.m.
Suggest removal
trouble22 writes:
I forgot to add a thank you to all of the WONDERFUL Westmister Postal customers who take care of their carriers and APPRECICIATE the carriers and actually get them waters and offer shelter when cold. During the bad snowstorms of 06 try to remember, all of Denver, what we did to get you all your packages on or before Christmas day. Most of the carriers worked on Christmas DAY (Volunteered) to get them to you! We do still care about the customer and want to take care of you!!! When winter comes, please remember to SHOVEL and not to take us for granted! MY Customers in the SHAW HEIGHTS area didn't take me for granted, they would actually HELP me through and some of them even shoveled paths throught the yards for me! AMAZING people!!! 85th and Lowell area!
:-)